Cuttle Up a Little Closer

Check out this cephalopod chordophone! Link

Cary Kelly over at Mya-Moe Ukuleles recently completed this custom Sycamore Tenor Cutaway (Cuttle-away?) featuring a sweet squid graphic etched onto the soundboard via pyrography. The pyrograph here was done by Dumitru “Dino” Muradian, who was profiled in the Fall, 2020 issue of Ukulele Magazine.

Cary says he's now built three ukes with pyrography on the soundboard. Victoria Vox owns one, which she uses for both recording and performances. He notes that he hasn't noticed any adverse affect on tone: "I’ve heard some argue that it opens up the soundboard, much like torrefied soundboards, but I’m not fully convinced of that."

By the way, I was so captivated by this design that it took me a couple of weeks to realize that it's a left-hand set-up.

I wonder if there's ever been a Kala-Mari uke...

The Secret of the Ukulele Finally Revealed!

I'm proud as punch to share that the good folks at Ukulele Magazine interviewed me for their Spring 2023 issue.

It's a great honor to recognized for having edited this little blog for over 20 (!) years and to have been able to chronicle, in particular, the early years of this Third Wave of ukulele popularity.

If you've come here via the profile in Ukulele Magazine: welcome! (And if you're not yet a subscriber, it's a terrific publication. I look forward to it arriving in my mailbox four times a year. You really should subscribe. It's about the cost of two sets of strings...)

A big thank you to Blair Jackson at Ukulele Magazine for the opportunity. Also to Craig Robertson, who was a treasured co-editor for a few years. And finally, to Mark Frauenfelder, who created Ukulelia (Your Passport to Four Stringed Paradise!) as an offshoot of Boing Boing back in the late 90s before generously handing me the keys in the early 00s.

I guess now I have to be a bit more diligent about turning up more remarkable stuff to share. It's a real challenge to find hidden treasures today. Stay tuned!

Here's the issue. Spoiler: I'm on the back page.

And as for that clickbait headline: it's a little inside joke for my friends who constantly remind me how bad I am at self-promotion...

Ready When You Are!

My friend and fellow JHUI alum Bryan LaPlante reminded me today of this 1975  documentary from the National Film Board of Canada, featuring Godfather of the Canadian 'Ukulele Movement, J. Chalmers Doane and 1,000 Halifax school children playing Mac Davis's I Believe in Music. Bonus: "rather critical lack of bathroom facilities." Stream "Ready When You Are" at this link.

And there's more: Melanie Doane's tribute to Mac Davis, featuring the kids from the 1970s and her students from the Doane Uschool. Link

Of course, while you're at it, you really should watch Melanie's Ukulele U on the CBC.

Ukulele Heroes: Deborah Guarnieri

Central New York instructor and innovator Deborah Guarnieri has developed adaptive technologies to allow people with upper limb disabilities to play the ukulele.

(Photo

As this article by Mike Jaquays from the Rome Sentinel explains:

"With the use of accoutrements like hub straps, waist straps, finger splints and other accessories, the Ukulele Support System has given people of all ages around the world the ability to play the ukulele. And all the parts she uses to modify the ukuleles are readily available to anyone, Guarneiri added.

Her Ukulele Support System is now under the umbrella of the Ukulele Kids Club of America and Guarneiri has created her own local CLUES Ukulele Club that meets at the Canastota and Oneida public libraries that help in her mission. CLUES is an acronym for Canastota Library Ukulele Extraordinary Strummers."

Here is Deb being interviewed on WSYR's Bridge Street, demonstrating several of her inventions. For more background and videos, here's an interview on WXXI from 2019. Follow the work that Deb, local club members, and other heroes around the world do to make the ukulele accessible on the Ukulele Support System for upper limb disabilities Facebook Page.

The Okee Dokee Brothers are Truly Okee Dokee

Today a student asked to work on a song I wasn't familiar with. The song is "If You Want a Song," by the Okee Dokee Brothers. Now, I'd heard of this duo before and liked their music a lot, but I'd forgotten about them. 

The aforementioned (and Grammy-winning) "brothers" are Joe Mailander and Justin Lansing, and are based in Minnesota. Together, they write and perform American-roots style, kid-and-parent friendly songs.

What makes them Okee Dokee in my book is that they not only feature the occasional uke in their songs (or sing about them–see below), but that they offer free download files of their lyrics and chords.

Check out the video of the song my student requested and watch for a cameo by Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer!

And for your winter strumming pleasure, here is the very charming "Ukulele in a Snowstorm."

Visit the Okee Dokee Brothers Website